U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and around Venezuela should be treated as “closed in its entirety,” a move that adds to rising regional tensions as Washington escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro. The statement, published on Trump’s Truth Social account and reported by Reuters, offered no further operational details.
Trump addressed “airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers,” urging them to avoid the airspace. Venezuela’s communications ministry, which handles government press inquiries, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the announcement. The U.S. Defense Department also did not issue an immediate response regarding Trump’s remarks.
For months, U.S. forces have carried out strikes on suspected drug-running vessels in the Caribbean, part of a broader military buildup near Venezuela. Trump has additionally authorized covert CIA operations targeting the country. Earlier this week, he told U.S. service members that land operations aimed at stopping alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers would begin “very soon.”
The aviation sector has already felt the effects of the heightened tension. Last week, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration warned major airlines about a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela due to worsening security conditions and increased military activity. In response, Venezuela revoked operating rights for six major international carriers that had suspended flights after the FAA’s alert.
The Trump administration has long accused Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, allegations the Venezuelan leader has denied. Maduro, in power since 2013, maintains that Washington is seeking to remove him and insists that Venezuelan citizens and the military will resist any attempt to do so.
U.S. forces have so far concentrated on counter-narcotics missions, though the scale of their deployment has raised concerns among regional observers. Since September, at least 21 U.S. strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific have been reported, resulting in the deaths of at least 83 people.
